Danny Hope

Today is Danny's Birthday.
He'd be 36 years old today.

I remember going to his 30th Birthday bash, even though he wasn't there to enjoy it.
He died a few months earlier.
His mom Clare still wanted to have a party for him and do it up Danny Style. She hired an Irish musician and there was a huge party for him. We had cake and ice cream and sang Irish songs all night. We celebrated his life, and were able to mourn for our lose. It was a beautiful party.

Danny was also my first boyfriend.
Through him I found my way to succeed and go to college.
Through him I found a loving family that I never let go of. His sister Jill has always been a close friend and I loved his mother Clare very much. I remember going to the hospital when Rane was born, and even the exact flowers I brought. I remember their house and living there and everyones friend's always hanging out. It was by far the "cool house."

I remember how after Danny died Clare, Rane, Guy, and all their friends and family would have a party at Danny's grave on his birthday. They would bring all his favorite food and music and all kinds of special little things.
It really was a celebration of his life and was beautiful.

This year Clare Hope is not around for Danny's Birthday.
I hope that she is with him somewhere and that they are having their own celebration today together.
I'm sure there was still a party for Deej, and maybe an extra chair for Clare?

I have an alter up for Clare at our house right now and two candles lit for both Danny and Clare.
I miss them both.

Look what I can do!

I can pet rhinos.
I can feed giraffes.
I can touch a tamandua.

I can spend two evenings at the Children's Museum, and one full day at the Desert Museum, and another behind the scenes at the zoo.

And I can LEAVE my kids at home while I do all of this.

This whole seminar I'm taking is to help me teach my kids science in fun ways.
My kids don't understand why they can't come with me to all these great places and why I can't just teach them science there?

It's mean, but I kinda just want to say "ha ha, look what I can do!"
After all I do for them, I mean really?
Isn't it time that I get to play without having to listen to complaining and arguing?
I know, how preschool of me.
Maybe I should follow it with a "neener-neener-neener?"

Did I mention I get paid?
neener-neener-neener!

gettin my dork on

I was finally giving the okay to "get my dork on" this week.
This means HALLOWEEN PAAARTY at my crypt!

Oh, yep, I'm a nerd.
I spent all day today avoiding cleaning my house and making a Halloween playlist.
I also plan on painting styrofoam heads and hanging them from the trees.

Oh, I like Halloween waaay too much...

Definitely, some punch with dry ice in it.
Bloody Mary's with eyeballs.
Sugar skulls for the kids to paint.

Anything else?

Maybe YOU?!

Prop. 403

My small plea for this proposition to pass.

Both my daughters class sizes increased quite a bit this year, plus teacher assistants dropped.
OH, and librarians? Apparently on Thursdays and Fridays who needs them!
Both schools share one principal now, and everything just sux!!!

I know Rebecca and I both volunteer 3 to 4 days a week to make up for all these cuts, and luckily other parents have stepped up too.
I love my kid's schools (way too much...) But I'm also exhausted.
So please... for my sanity vote yes on prop. 403.

Whooo?

Oh yeah..
BTW, here are pictures of the owl.


Amy releasing her.

Her new home in BELL...


Can I get an "Aaaaaw?"

dodging the media

I credit my great media ducking ability to working in The Embarcadero.
Several local TV stations dwell in downtown SF, and trying to duck newscasters is an everyday occurrence. "No, I don't suffer from allergies," "No I have never heard of that proposition," "Whose Willie Brown?"

My very cool friend Rebecca posted this picture in her blog and I had to share it.

First an exclamation.
BELL was on the news a couple days ago on KGUN 9 and Fox 11.
Forever Wild gave us a Western Screech Owl to release. The owl had originally flown into someone window, she was fine, but she needed a new home.
The principal grabbed me an informed me I was going to talk to the news. I latched onto my co-coordinator who refused to be on the news. Then we grabbed poor innocent Rebecca and basically shoved her in front of the camera.

This is me and Kurt hiding in the background as Rebecca is being interviewed by Mr. Bighead guy.
Heh.

Self Perception

While I was sick I started two painting that were inspired by
The Black Apple
To me it was obvious who the paintings were of.
Can you figure out who they or is my perception of Teagan and Ari just waaay off?




My kids had NO clue who these were pictures of. Even with lots of coaxing, I finally had to give in and tell them. To me they look just like them.

I wonder if it's because in both paintings they are pouting and they do not percieve themselves this way? I also wonder if I had drawn them smiling that they would have figured it out instantly?

But for me this is how I perceive them every morning before school.
Just sitting on the couch all grumpy.

Free Bird!

Just an update on the chicken coop which is now finished and has eight happy fowl living the good life inside. The kids are always crowded around the coop and love watching their little chicken antics.
The school is holding an election for their names, but almost for certain the little polish gal will be called Einstein. How appropriate, right? We have to thank Miss Jane for coming up with that one!

Here's the finished coop before the chickens went in.



Tamale's class getting ready to release the chickens.




And Teagan, Ari, and Jane releasing the chickens into their new home.
Teagan and Jane got to leave school early just help with this, lucky girls!



(Look there's ^Einstein^)

They have been in the new coop for about two weeks now and they look happy, well as happy as a chicken can look anyways.



Now that the chicken coop in done the Borton Community Garden can begin!
We meet with Lisa Shipek from Watershed Management Group (http://www.watershedmg.org/) this morning about holding a rainwater harvesting workshop to use earthworks for retaining water for our edible garden at Borton!
But that's a whole 'nother blog.

One of those weeks

This week has been super sucky.
I'm finally well (yey,) and able to take on all my responisilities!
Feeling goood, right?

Then I get about three emails in a row basically saying "I'm too busy so I'm canceling and you get to take over all my duties too."
First I cried.
Then I denied all of the people.
Then (as alway,) I did it anyways.

Then our car broke down this morning.

I was actually excited to have a legitimate excuse not have to do anything!!
Like a window opened and angels were singing "aaaaaah" as a bright light was cast upon me.
I may have even been smiling as a helped push the minivan to the side of the road?

I email both kids schools saying that we may not be in because of car troubles. And since we have one car, fixing our one car in always an issue.
DANM I felt SO free!

Then Don fixed the car.
Stupid husbands with their car fixing capabilities!

SO...
I took both kids to school late.
Missed my time slot for the art assignment I was suppose to do with the kids.
Went to pottery late.
Left pottery early.
Went back to T's school to do the art assignment at my "new" designated time.
Opened the library (but once again the computer was locked so I could really check out books to kids. But I guess books aren't really important on Thursdays.)
Grumble.

Tomorrow I can't take the kids out to BELL. I won't even go into that.

Next Sunday there is a "thank you" party for the chicken coop that was planned around me.
I can't go, I always work on the day they planned it.
And why should I?
I only bought the chickens.
And housed them for three weeks.
And bought all their food, and feeding containers, and straw.
And helped build a coop at 7am on the only day I can sleep in.
Okay I'm disgruntled, even though I said "it's cool," and pretended not to care.

I guess every once in a while you just need to give the world the finger!
Also I should stand up for myself more.

On a positive note, my kid's principal actually offered to drive over to give our car a jump start.
I love my kid's school more than most normal people, but how many principals would say that? She was also covering in the office for two employees that were out.
Maybe she just can't say "no" either?